The Bangor Lumberjacks were an independent minor league baseball team in the Northeast League that was based in Bangor, Maine. Prior to 2003, the Lumberjacks played in Glens Falls, New York and were known as the Adirondack Lumberjacks. The team moved to Maine following the 2002 season. In 2003, the Lumberjacks played in Orono at Larry Mahaney Diamond and in 2004 they played at Bangor's Winkin Sports Complex. Kash Beauchamp served as the team's manager.
For their first year the Lumberjacks finished with a 42-49 record. The next year, the team finished with a 56-36 overall record, good for second best in the league behind the New Jersey Jackals. The Lumberjacks met the Jackals in the first round of the playoffs and were quickly eliminated, losing in four games despite having the pitchers with the two best ERA (JC Huguet and Jerry Long) in the league and postseason All-Star Derry Hammond, who hit 23 home runs. Whereas the Lumberjacks had won three league championships in New York, the team failed to win one in their two years in Maine.
The 2003 roster featured former Major League pitcher Jeff Sparks who had spent parts of two seasons (23 appearances) with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In 17 games with the Lumberjacks, Sparks logged 36 2/3 innings with a 4-1 record and an ERA of 1.23.[1]
In 2004, the Lumberjacks' lone player with MLB service was left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews who had appeared in eight games in 2000 with the Toronto Blue Jays. A regular in Bangor's starting rotation, Andrews posted a 7-3 record with a 4.06 ERA in 84 1/2 innings.[2]
The Northeast League stripped Bangor of its membership after the 2004 season and the Lumberjacks folded. The team's roster after the folding comprised the 2005 roster for the Can-Am League's traveling team, and later became the initial roster for the Sussex Skyhawks who debuted in 2006.
Bangor franchises timeline
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894–1896 | 3 | Bangor Millionaires | Class B | New England League |
| 1897 | 1 | Independent | Maine State League | |
| 1901 | 1 | Bangor | New England League | |
| 1907 | 1 | Bangor Cubs | Class D | Maine State League |
| 1908 | 1 | Bangor White Sox | ||
| 1913 | 1 | Bangor Maroons | New Brunswick-Maine League | |
| 1994–1997 | 3 | Bangor Blue Ox | Independent | Northeast League |
| 2003–2004 | 2 | Bangor Lumberjacks |
See also
References
- ^ "Jeff Sparks". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ "Clayton Andrews". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 13, 2020.